The Bride Finder: A Novel Book

Born with unusual gifts Anatole St.Leger comes from a long family whose powers and legends are known by many, through stories and whispers. Anatole powers have caused him more heartache then happiness. The time though has come for him to have his bride found. But, only the gifted Bride Finder can find the chosen mate of a St.Leger to insure happiness and love throughout their lives.
The task doesn't seem to be difficult for Madeline Breton who trades marriage to help her family out of debt. Hoping to find a man who may love her for herself, she's in for many surprises along the way as she learns of the great secretes of not only the St.Leger family, but of her new husband.

The Bride Finder has magic, romance with a fast paced plot all wrapped up into this amazing book I couldn't put down.

Anatole first comes across as beastly type of man with wild look about him who lives in a creepy (haunted) castle and rather bellow out orders then ask for anything. Living as a feared recluse he tries to live with the pain of being outcast by his own parents and to hide away to protect others and himself from his dark gifts. Anatole was a tragic hero who wanted to be loved by his mother, who was to weak-willed to understand her son, his father was also to much in love with his wife to spare a thought to what he was doing to his own son was wrong. Anatole somehow grew up strong, but with a deep fear of rejection, he still held out hope that one day he'll be accepted and loved as he is. I really loved Anatole more and more as the beast mask he worn broke apart to see just a man behind the mask, hurting and alone, waiting for that someone to love him.

I also really loved his morbid sense of humor toward his dead family members.
When Madeline and Anatole marry, Anatole's explains why his ancestress are buried under the church floor…

" St.Legers have long been buried here instead of in the churchyard," Anatole said. "The hope being that the added weight of the building might keep them in their graves."


Madeline was smart with common sense and duty ruling her mind, much like Anatole, wanted to be truly accepted as herself then some stuffy doll to sell off to the ton's marriage market. Holding out hope throughout the book, she healed not only Anatole's heart with her love, but with her understanding and acceptance of him and his powers. She became stronger and risked her life for him and I just adored her to bits!

Many of the secondary characters moved the story along wonderfully, but two really caught my eye were the ghost Lord Prospero who still haunted his castle and tower, always up to some sort of mischief that gave Anatole another major headache. He was a smooth charmer even as a ghost. There was also Anatole's cousin Marcus who was not only a doctor but a strong empathic, after the tragic death of his own soul mate bride, he waits for his own death to be reunited with her, I hope it doesn't take death for him to get another second chance at love.
There was some great villains in the story that added to the book's pace and excitement, but the focus was always on the romance and growing love between Madeline and Anatole, sparks don't fly in bed for them, as it takes time (and a few tries to get it right) but for me it only added and fueled the need to understand each other, showing a great character growth and development and a true bondship between the leads.


Overall: a magical and deeply beautiful book with an ending that is sigh-worthy in it's happy ever after between Madeline and Anatole